20 | http://www.nomadafricamag.com | ...Celebrating the world’s richest continent | Issue 11brewed coffee and a traditional Maasai
shuka cloth that is affectionately known as
the “African blanket” to keep me warm.
There was just myself and JP, the game
ranger, in the open-air vehicle as we
bounced off into the breaking dawn.
It didn’t take me long to grasp that this is
a place of learning, where Africa teaches
lessons that will change the way you view
the world in one of the most incredible
classrooms on the planet – the incompa-
rable Maasai Mara. A place where lions and
other big cats own the night; a place
where hippos stake claim to vast territo-
ries; a place where we submit to the
supreme power of wild Africa and take our
lead from Mother Nature.
The golden glow of the sky faded as the
sun rose higher in the sky and the slight
stirring of wildlife during the breaking
dawn became more active. There seemed
to be a sense of urgency to start the day.
Just a few kilometres out from the camp
and that supreme power of the wild was
upon me.
Giraffes walked gracefully across the
plains, curiously stopping every so often to
glance around and survey the area. Grand
majestic elephants paraded slowly past,
the younger elephants trailing playfully
behind. Wild dogs called in the distance, an
excited chatter like that of children run-
ning off to play.
Herds of wildebeest congregated as if at-
tending a morning board meeting. Mixed
with them were dazzles of zebra and I am
told these are the stragglers that did not
venture on the great migration. Described
as the greatest show on Earth, the Great
Migration is an overwhelming, humbling
and quite simply amazing wildlife experi-
ence.
Every year, millions of wildebeest, zebras
and gazelles combined gather on the vast
plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania to
begin their race towards greener grazing
lands. Following the rains, they head north
towards the Maasai Mara before about-
turning and dashing south again. It's a
sprint for survival, covering a total of over
1,800 miles, and the journey is incredibly
tough, where only the strong survive.
Survival is a battle that is played out daily
in the Mara, and from the serene start to
my morning, I was about to be quickly
awoken by such a battle.
A lioness crouched in the long grass, her
body twitched in anticipation. Although
her stare was fixed on the target, she was
aware of everything that was going on
around her. The gazelle unfortunately was
not, otherwise it would have realised what
immediate danger it was in and the fate
that lay ahead. It had been only minutes
that I had been watching the lioness’s
stealth, but it felt like hours, and the antic-
ipation numbed my body. I had to remind
myself to breathe.
A lighting burst from the lioness began the
hunt as she erupted from the silence of
her camouflage, the attack was on. The
gazelle realised all too late. In the distanceI saw a flurry of movement in the scrub
and grass, the impala’s hind leg jutted into
the air and the tumble of these two ani-
mals in this wrestle for life stirred up dust
and debris that floated gently in the air
above the chaos that unravelled below.
As we drove closer to the kill, an over-
whelming sense of emotions engulfed me.
The initial scene of tragedy turned to one
of hope as the lioness was soon joined by
her small family, with more of the pride ar-
riving to feast on the meal. It then be-
comes clear to me the meaning behind
‘the circle of life’, the loss of one animal’s
life in order for another animal to live.
This circle is the essence of Africa. It’s what
keeps the continent’s heart beating; it’s
what keeps it alive. A beat that is rooted
deep in the soil that supplies life to the
age-old Baobab trees; a beat that echoes
beyond the vast plains that feed such
amazing and unique animals; a beat that
lives on in the souls of those who live there
and a beat that will always remain in my
heart after my first visit to the Maasai
Mara.
As my day came to an end, I revelled in the
most memorable African sunset. The yel-
low-orange-red and violet hues of sunset
was intense, yet offered a calming warmth.
Like a great big romantic fire in the sky, the
sun dipped behind the horizon as if an or-
chestral symphony was quieting down.
The sun’s rays waved goodbye like an old
friend, but you know you will see them
again.